STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3885, 28 August 1928, Page 19

STOCK AND GRAZING NOTES.

Weekly Steck Sales. Burnside, Wednesdays. Addington, Wednesdays. Wiiareka Railway Junction, Tuesdays Fortnightly. BlrersdaZe, Fridays (March. April, and May). Wallacetowu, Tuesdays. Ashburton, Tuesdays. Heriot, Thursdays. Winton, Th>”sdavB. Wyndham, Thursdays. Clinton, Thursdays. Balclutha, Fridays. Gore, Tuesdays. Monthly. Ed endale, Ist Monday. Palmerston, 4th Thursday. Winton, 4th Tuesday. Mataura, Ist Thursday. Tokanui, 4th Monday

Monthly (continued). Duntroon, 2nd Welnej. day. Woodlands, SnS We4t. nesday. Milton, 2nd Tuesday. Balfour, 3rd Thursday. Thornbury, Ist Friday. Otautau, 2nd Wednesday. Riversdale, 3rd Friday (except March. April, and May). Waikaka, last Friday. Clydevale, last Friday Periodically as Advertised. Lumsden, Mossburn, Orepuki, Waimahaka, Waikouaiti. ttiverton, Ngapara, and Otago Central Sales.

OTACO. Although the week was one of somewhat variable temperatures, with slight frosts in places, Otago weather, on the whole, was good. More rain is wanted in the south, but crops in North Otago and inland experienced a fair rainfall.

BURNSIDE MARKET. The weather was pleasant, and there was a very fair attendance of town and country butchers at Burnside, where average yardings of fat stock evoked fair competition. The, entry of fat cattle, 207, compared with 182 the previous week, comprised very fair to prime average weight quality bullocks, the proportion of prime heifers and cows not being inordinate. No outstanding heavy cattle were featured. The demand, although on a lower basis than at the last sale, was good, cows selling comparatively better than quality bullocks. Generally prime bullocks realised £1 to £1 10s per head lower values than a week ago, beef making up to 51s per 1001 b. The offering of fat sheep, 2223, was practically similar to the previous week, when 2200 were penned. The quality of the crossbred sheep was good, but finewoolled sheep in some instances lacked finish. Some capital ewes were yarded. The demand early in the sale was much the same as a week ago for'heavy wethers, although some easement occurred in places. Best ewes and medium sorts, also finewoolled wethers, eased Is to 2s per head, but all classes finished well. No apparent change was noted in butchers’ quotations, wether mutton making to 7d per lb. The few fat hoggets penned made 28s to 325. The penning of 152 fat pigs (107 last sale) met with a good demand, bacon sorts being sought after, while porkers (a big proportion of the entry) eased in values. Store pigs, 93 (146 last sale) sold fairly well for best grades. Baconers sold to C|d, and porkers around 7d per lb. COUNTRY STOCK SALES. BALCLUTHA, Some 2000 sheep were yarded at Balclutha, chiefly hoggets and ewes. There was a capital demand, fat wethers and ewes making the equivalent of Burnside rates. Forward store open-woolled wethers made 35s 7d. fair ewe hoggets 30s, wether hoggets 26s 3d, two and fourtooth ewes 40s 6d. six and eight-tooths 42s 3d. good sound mouths 36s 6d. full and failing 31s 6d to 335, broken 22s to 265. M‘NAB. There was a small entry of sheep at the Gore sale last week, but the demand was good, breeding ewes, fair to good mouths, making 30s to 40s 3d, failing 17s 6d to 245, ewe -hoggets 30s 35s 4d, 37s 3d, wether hoggets 20s 3d to 28s. dairy cows £7 5s to £l2 ss, extra £l4 10s, heifers £7 5s to £B. DAIRY FACTORIES. BOGGY BURN. The report and balance sheet of the Boggy Burn Dairy Factory states that the output of cheese amounted to 116 J tons (about seven tons more than last year). The average price paid for cheese, B£d per lb, enabled the directors to pay out a total payment of Is 8d per lb butterfat for the season. The output for the present season to the end of December has been sold at 9Jd per lb. The retiring directors —Messrs J. W. Cowan. W. J. Cowie, and Alexander Shand—have been nominated for re-election. LOCHIEL; The report of the Lochiel Dairy Factory states that about 176 tons of cheese was manufactured, and sold at BJd and B|d per lb, enabling an advance payment being made of Is 6d per lb butter-fat. A final payment of 2Jd was made later, thus

making Is SJd per lb for the season. Messrs John Duthie. William Macdonald, and G. R. Queale. the retiring directors, have been nominated for re-election. STOCK NOTES. Lambs have already made their appearance at Waikouaiti, though the general lambing season does not commence for some weeks yet. The Taihape district can boast of the biggest bullock in the North Island, or perhaps in New Zealand, at present. This beast is owned by Mr H. Harris, of Mataroa, who is sending it for exhibition at the Wellington show shortly. Weighed in March last, it turned the scales at 27001 b, and Mr Harris says it will weigh over 30001 b by the time it reaches Wellington. as it has put on considerable condition of late. The National Dairy Association, whieti for a great number of years has attended to the shipping of dairy produce from the North Island and latterly has been doing that business for the Dairy Produce Board at the ports of Auckland and New Plymouth, has been advised by the board that that body in future will do the shipping from all ports. The South Island Dairy Association, which attended to shipping business from all ports in the Souih Island, has been similarly advised. Although fat stock values at Burnside were somewhat irregular there was undoubtedly a good tone exhibited. Prices for fat cattle after a month’s experience at a high level were due to recede, but, even so, the decline leaves prime bullocks still valuable goods. Fat cows sell remarkably well in proportion to bullocks, the latter at last sale changing hands at 51s per 1001 b.

Fat sheep, we arc inclined to think, will get dearer .in view of the good growth of wool this season and present prices paid for skins, while the fact of beef being dear tends to deflect consumers’ attention to mutton. At this time last year fat wethers were making rather more than less money than they are to-day at Burnside.

Mr R. W. Cooper’s Scotch Shorthorns (58 lots) averaged £72. the top price for bulls being HOOgns, this price being paid for the three-year-old Cluny Beauty Chief. Females sold up to 230gns. This sale took place at Rush Court, Wallingford, Berks, England. On dismembering a deceased goat an Australian farmer recently discovered in its stomach a purse containing two pound notes (states an exchange). This merely proves how fallacious is the theory that there is no money in goats! Auckland established a local recorc. for beef at Westfield Market on the 15th, when choicest be -f sold to 48s per 1001 b. There seems to be a genuine scarcity of fat catt'.e in New Zealand. Country butchers at Burnside Market secured fat cattle (not perhaps of the choicest quality, but good) at reasonable rates in what many considered a dear market. Graziers bought unfinished wethers, but were not over-venturesome. At a dispersal sale of Clydesdales on account of Mr A. Arnold, of Lyndhurst, Warracknabeal, 25 head averaged £BB 16s. Stallions made 70gns to 167£gns. fillies and mares 140gn.s to 200gns, and half a dozen nine to ten-month-old colts 50gns to 200gns, averaging 90gns, all the last-mentioned being the progeny of imported Craigie Masterstroke. The following from the Argentine Weekly is of interest in view of Britain’s efforts to cheek outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease: —“The Ministry of Agriculture has imposed a fine of 500dol on Senor Gregorio Phoganofe, of Anchorena. F.C.S., for having sent to Tablada Market sheep with symptoms of aftosa. In accordance with the existing regulations the lot of 277 wethers were immediately slaughtered, the carcasses being branded to avoid any possibility of inclusion among those reserved for exportation.”

Some three months ago Mr A. W. Montgomerie, of Lessnessock. Scotland, sent a shipment of 38 head of tuberculintested and milk-recorded Ayrshires to Canada, to the orders of several buyers. The greater number was dispersed by auction at Ormstown, Quebec, on June 6. when there was a well-attended sale, and a good trade was met, taking into account the form the animals were in. The highest price was llOOdol. or £220. for the six-year-old cow Douglas Hall Nascent, bred by Mr Mungo Sloan and sired by Lessnessock Gossamer. Lessnessock Gossamer, bred by Mr Montgomerie and used as a stock bull at Low Milton, was taken at £lBO. Twenty females made £3O to £lOO and calves £26 to £36. Some frank criticism of the trend of meat production in Queensland was offered by Colonel T. Dunlon Younsr, chief veterinary ’officer of the Corporation of London, in an address to Queensland cattle growers. He said that Australia was breeding types not suited to the Smithfield market or to competition with Argentine meat. A smaller type of animal was desired by English butchers. He had seen bullocks at Queensland meat works weighing up to 11601 b, and he had heard them referred to as fine fat bullocks. It would be mqre correct to classify them as elephants. Butchers did

not want big-boned bullocks, and the fat must be evenly distributed. Formerly sheep averaged between 561 b and 601 b. Now they averaged between 301 b and 401 b. At one time beef carcasses were sold weighing 100 English stone. Now butchers did not want them to exceed 90 stone. In the Argentine there were three types of cattle—ehil'ers, freezers, and the Continental type. The best type of chillers averaged from 70 to 90 English stone, and they were small boned with the fat evenly distributed. FRIESIANS ACAIN. The Black-and-whites continue to put up big milk returns, and it apparently makes no. difference to the Friesian breed whether it is in the north, south, east, or west they invariably notch arresting performances. The Piri Land Company, of Orini, Taupiri, is to be congratulated on the performance of its junior two-year-old heifer, lotara Pontiac Lady, who has just completed a record of 16,069.01 b milk and 676.851 b fat, with an average test of 4.21 per cent. Two excellent performances during the 1927-28 season are credited to the pedigree Friesians. Bainfield Sylvia Princess II and Livingstone Lady Wakalona, who have just completed records of over 7001 b fat under semi-official test as three-year-olds. N.Z. FRIESIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS. The New Zealand Friesian Association has allotted the following championships for the coming show season:— The South Island championships for bull and cow have been allotted to the Otago A. and P. Association’s Show, to be held at Dunedin on November 21 and 22. The Otago branch of the New Zealand Friesian Association has given £l2 as special prizes for group classes at the Otago Show, and the Show Committee is adding 50 per cent, to that amount. The North Island championships for bull and cow have been allotted to the Auckland A. -and P. Asso?iation’s Show to be held at Auckland on November 23 and 24. The Royal Agricultural Society’s Showwill he held in conjunction with the

Manawatu A. and P. Show, to be held at Palmerston North on October 30 and November 1 and 2. Among the special competitions for pedigree Friesians are the folowing.— (a) Champion Bull.—Winner to hold £5O Challenge Cup for one year, and to receive a replica, value £lO 10s. (b) Champion Cow.—Winner to hold £5O Challenge Cup for one year, and to receive a replica, value £lO iOs. (c) New Zealand Breweries’ 100 Guinea Gold Cup.—Winner to hold cup for one year, and to receive a memento, value £lO. This trophy is allotted to the best cow bred and owned by the exhibitor. (d) Provincial Group (for teams of six animals). —Two bulls (one two-year-old and one yearling bull), four females (one mature cow-, a three-year-ola heifer, a two-year-old heifer, and a yearling heifer). The cow and two and three-year-old heifers must be in milk or visibly in calf. The prize money for this group class is £25. £l5, and £lO. presented by the New Zealand Friesian Association. The New Zealand Friesian Association has also granted £9O transport expenses for groups competing in the competition. WHEAT CROPS IN AUSTRALIA. The Commonwealth Meteorologist (Mr H. A. Hunt) is most encouraging in his report on the condition of the Commonwealth wheat crops at the end of Ju'y. Western Australia. —With the coming of the generous July rains, the ground received a much-needed and thorough soaking. Crops are making rapid growth, and although on the short side, are looking exceptionally well, and th e prospects for the season are most encouraging. South Australia.—Reports received for July show that the cereal outlook has improved throughout the whole of the State. Apart from fair, to good rains, the improvement is reported as being due to good growing weather at nearly all centres. The majority of reports indicate that crops promise to be “ average,” but a considerable number mention prospects as “ above average.” Only two branches (in the Upper North and Eyre Peninsula) report the prospects as “ below average.”

Queensland. —Encouraging reports have been received of the prospects of the forthcoming wheat crop. In practically every district increased areas have been planted, and, generally speaking, the young wheat looks remarkably well, notwithstanding the fact that in some localities the mice plague necessitated resowing. With good winter rains, such as have been received, the indications of a bountiful wheat harvest are at present very promising.

New South Wales.—Rainfall over the average in most wheat areas promises to ensure a good harvest. Early-sown crops are heavy and well matured; late-sown ones are making excellent growth. Leaf rust and winter blight have made their appearance in some Riverina crops, and if later climatic conditions prove favourable to plant diseases the yield may be correspondingly reduced. The area sown is in excess of that of last year. Soil conditions are favourable for cultivation fallowing is well advanced. Victoria.—Reports received indicated that prospects in practically every district were very promising. Crops in general were well advanced and had made good growth. Rainfall for the month was somewhat under average, but useful, and mild day temperatures had been experienced with a succession of frosty nights. Given normal spring rains, very good yields were anticipated.. Although very light, the rainfall this week has been general throughout Victoria. Reports were being received by the Weather Bureau of dryness in some parts of the State, and the fear was expressed that conditions were taking shape for another poor wheat season. Mr Hunt said it seemed that the bountiful summer rains had been forgotten. The subsoil had stored up a large quantity of moisture, and although the winter had not been as wet as could be wished, the rainfall for June was well above the average over the greater part of the wheat areas, and for July not much below the average. Tasmania. —Crops look well and are making fair to good growth. Prospects at present are favourable.